Richard Kilgore
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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore
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Tommy -- If you don't know anything about the Chef's Collaborative, then you have not been following the points that most people here have been making, not bothered to follow the links to it to find out.
While some people have been offering very strong opinions, I am not sure how anyone comes up with labeling them "fundamentalist" or "fanatic". I don't feel nearly as strongly as some, partly because Rick Bayless has not been a persoanl ideal for me and I knew nothing about the Chef's Collaborative until this thread. But I have had a few reactions to the thread contents. The first is that after reading the detail on the contents of BK Whoppers and the Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich, I have a hard time stopping for any fast food outlet even when very pressed for time. Second, I did try the sandwich and found the chicken itself edible, but the sauce, onions, peppers and bread pretty miserable. Third, while I still have not seen the TV adv, and so am a little reluctant to comment, from the news interviews and Jinmyo's report of the adv content -- it is a very odd career move and I can't but think that he would do this knowing full well that people who are interested in sustainable local foods and good cooking would be anywhere from upset to outraged. Fourth, people do make judgements of people based on how they make money all the time: judges who take bribes; doctors who write prescriptions for addicts to make a couple of obvious examples of people who publicly advocate a high standard while doing something quite different. Fourth, I still think Fat-Guy made the critical point when he said early on something to the effect that you can sell your reputation...but then you don't get to keep it. Fifth, this may all blow over in a year and I doubt it will effect RB's restaurant business much if at all, but I have a hard time imagining it will have no effect on his career at all in some way. For all I know, he could do very well financially doing TV promotions for all sorts of frozen or processed Mexican foods, his brand or others BK, Taco Bell, Taco Bueno, Chipolte Grill). But I don't think he can do those things and still present himself as a standard bearer for locally grown, sustainable, unprocessed, well cooked foods.
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Thanks again Tony and thanks kuenzlen.
So we've accounted for ugali (boiled maze meal), Cassava (mohgo in Swahili, she says), M'Chuzi (stew or curry), sukuma wiki (green vegetable), roasted corn on the cob, Irio (beans and corn dish), and goat, chicken and fish (in the stews and curries or roasted). Anything else, or any more detail on the curries or stews? What are the curries and stews cooked in -- cast iron, clay pots? Long, slow stew or short?
Is the Indian food in Kenya similar to what we have in the U.S.? If not, what is it like? Other Asian foods popular there?
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I'm steamed, too, reggie. Those long lines at Burger King are a real pain, aren't they?
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This is a spin-off of a thread in Food Media. The issue of why people avoid preparing real food, as opposed to "convenience food" was raised. Tommy mentioned that there are time, money, and life-style barriers. I think his question points in a helpful direction -- what are the internal barriers to preparing real food. What beliefs get in people's way? How do people make it harder than necesssary. And where does the motivation come from to actually surmount the barriers, perceived or real? Have you always prepared real food, or is that a change that occured at some point? If a change in your approach, what influenced you -- an article, a book, a friend, some life circumstance?
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In the Dallas story, they interviewed several vendors and customers. The vendors felt that not being able to offer samples is hurting their sales and the customers were disappointed at not being able to tell what was offered for sale. Sampling has been the norm here for a long time.
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I caught most of a news story on one of the Dallas stations about the city's efforts at renewing the Farmer's Market. Two major issues: in cracking down on code violations, they are now prohibiting tasting samples of produce --- no little slice of apple or peach anymore. Which slams right up against the second problem: a lot of the stalls are not farmers. These folks just buy produce out of a warehouse somewhere and sell grocery store quality produce.
So if you can't TASTE the produce, how can you tell what you are getting? Someone told me a few months ago to look at the people selling the produce. If they look like they haven't had much sleep lately, they're farmers.
Is this a problem in other Texas cities?
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I hope theabroma finds this thread. On another one she mentioned that frozen huitlacoche is much, much better than canned. So does anyone know of a supplier for frozen in Texas?
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Alton Brown has nothing on Jaymes!
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Yes, the glass cutting boards are a problem , but then so is igniting wood boards or melting plastic boards with your pilot lights. Glass with wood or plastic board on top?
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Thanks for posting your very detailed report on your ExtraMSG Dallas Tour 2003. Please do tour again.
Raynickben -- welcome back to Dallas. Let us know about your dining experiences here.
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In this small kitchen I like Jaymes glass cutting boards better than the over the sink type. Partly because of the advantage of constantly washing pots, pans, bowls, etc. as you go. I don't think a hinged board would be practical for your reasons and how would you wash it down adequately?
Mis en place will make things much more manageable in terms of using your space to best advatage without tripping over yourself if you are doing much more than making an omlette. In other words, you avoid chopping things up while you are cooking. Do the chopping first, clean up and then start the actual cooking.
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A bunch of excellent ideas on this thread. Alton Brown is a clever fellow. I ran across a pasta maiking solution in his new book on kitchen equipment and tools. He bolts an Italian pasta machine to an ironing board. I had been looking for an easier way to do this when I ran across his idea.
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Suvir - I am delighted at your projects and achievments, and was wondering how you could juggle so many balls. Glad you will continue to post and contribute here on eGullet as you have time.
Richard
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I know nothing about any current scientific comparison studies, but even if the risk is only 15%, you are not going to serve rare chicken, are you? It was only 15% in the late 1960s - early 1970s for domestic poultry, as I recall, and would guess that it is higher than that now in the industrial chicken coops.
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Just in --- Gael Green has a preview review in New York magazine of Amma, now chefed and owned by Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur.
"The fabulous slivers of eggplant pickle that spike savory stuffed chicken legs, peppery fried spinach with mung beans, and the sweet-and-sour pear chutney with lamb chops are his (Suvir's) memories of home, " Green writes.
Congratulations, Suvir! You certainly can keep a secret.
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Congratulations, Suvir! You certainly can keep a secret. The brief description in the review sounds wonderful.
"The fabulous slivers of eggplant pickle that spike savory stuffed chicken legs, peppery fried spinach with mung beans, and the sweet-and-sour pear chutney with lamb chops are his (Suvir's) memories of home, " Green writes.
Do tell us more about the menu.
Richard
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Thanks, Paula. I have seen them in the catalogues, but have not tried one. We have a couple of Sur La Tables here, so I'll check it out.
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Sam - That's one funny looking chicken.
After following this thread the past day or two I had to roast a chicken. So I picked up one of the "premium" chicks, almost a four pounder. Stuffed it with limes (no lemons in the house) and rubbed it with salt and pepper, then did it in the Romertopf at 425 for 85 minutes followed by 20 minutes of browning. Crisp and suculent. Served with Chinese eggplant and a simple mixed green salad and vinegarette.
I am going to have to try the cast iron skillet roasting method just to compare.
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Fifi -- My sister is an anthropologist, and we have had similar discussions. I may be wrong, but I don't think that hypothesis is as controversial as it once was. In other words, the idea is that there were early migrations across the Bering Sea and then south down the N.A. continent, and also migrations across the Pacific to South America, Mexico and then north.
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That's an amazing collection of Falk, Suvir. Congratulations. I am sure they look great and that you will have a fine time using them.
Jam Pot suggestion: Put it on the floor in your living room, with a round glass top it will make an attractive coffee table.
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Maggie - Williams-Sonoma also has a list of re-tiiners that they recommend.
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Tommy - I guess I should go back and edit my post to say that was my point: if they make better stock, they also make better roast chicken. There, I said it.
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It's because bland, tasteless mass-produced chicken is such a huge challenge! And if there is one thing eGulleteers seem to like, it's a culinary challenge.
I may have missed it, but I don't think we have addressed the type of chicken we use. CI did a typically detailed study of which chickens make the best stock, and there testers all found your standard grocery store chicken pretty worthless. They could easily tell the difference between 1) the typical bird and 2) Kosher chickens and other premium chickens running $2 - 3 per pound.
But here I am straying off the subject. You asked WHY. so - 1) the challenge, as noted above. 2) Because we have chickens imprinted in our DNA from thousands of years of chasing them around bushes while trying to survive. 3) We are working out the trauma of way too many rubber chicken dinners earlier in our lives. 4) Our mothers fed us chicken, and we're out to prove she made the right choice even if she didn't know how to cook it. 5) Because it's good, but could be better. 6) Because all of us have been standing around just waiting for the opportunity to say "spatchcock!"
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There are two A-C knock-off designs - Tri-ply and disk bottom. Most Tramontina I have seen are tri-ply, except for a stock pot. Chefmate also has a number of pieces with the clad bottom, but I have not used them.
If you are comparing the heavier A-C to the Tramontina tr--ply, you will notice more difference than if you compare it to the SS A-C tri-ply, which is what I thought you were doing. A diffuser is just a disk of aluminum or thick enameled cast iron and cost about ten bucks. It essentially has the same effect as adding a disk to the bottom of a pan. That may be a solution if you want to continue using the sauce pan and saute pan. The
Are you using gas or electric? I found that on electric a diffuser helps a little with any hot spots. I should also say I have not used any of the A-C knock offs for sauteing, only for eggs and sauces. Minimal sticking and very easy clean-up.
Rick Bayless and Burger King - Part 1
in Ready to Eat
Posted
How has this thread degenerated into a debate about "food fundamentalism" vs. "food relavitism"? Why would you think that high profile advocacy of any set of values would not carry with it certain behavioral expectations by the public (see my lawyer and doctor examples above)? The people you are calling fundmentalists here have by and large been upset or even outraged, but have not shown disrespect for other people's beliefs. But why would you expect that people with the same values RB espouses would not come to look at him differently because of the ads?
Many people in this field and others develop their name into a carefully constructed brand, which may or may not be a reflection of the individual. When you do something that doesn't fit with the brand image, something is going to change. It doesn't mean that you may not make a lot of money with the change, but things will change. Hard to imagine that he has not thought this through and made a conscious decision to go a different direction in order to trade on his brand name, although that is possible, since people shoot themselves in the career foot all the time. No way to know.
Woody --- you sound like you are arguing with yourself. Are you seriously arguing that it RB knew what the real sandwich would be and it was going to have about 20% of the vegetetables in the ads?" And this is a good thing?